Call on Malaysians to return to the Rukunegara principles to unite as a people, regardless of race and religion, to fulfill Malaysia’s dream of greatness

I wish all Christians in Malaysia Merry Christmas.

Although I am not a Christian, I have been wishing Christians “Merry Christmas” for over six decades from my student days in Batu Pahat High School, just as I have wished “Selamat Hari Raya” to Muslims and “Happy Deepavali” to Hindus in Malaysia.

Was I wrong and had I any intention to subvert the faith of the Christians, Muslims or Hindus to their religions in making such felicitations to them on their festive days?

Of course not. Such an idea was unthinkable and even anathema, as it never entered into my remotest thoughts to subvert the faith of Christians, Muslims or Hindus by wishing them felicitations on the occasion of their religion’s holy days.

This is why I read with joy and appreciation the latest writing of the Johore Sultanah who said that “Going to church did not make me less of a Muslim when I was a young girl, and neither does saying ‘Merry Christmas’ make me less of a Muslim now”.

She wrote:

“My faith has not been shaken just because I wished some friends a time of joy with their families. Neither will I suddenly suffer from amnesia and forget what my religion is.

“What I do not wish to forget, however, is that there are good, kind people who are not of the same faith as me.”

She said she did wish to be “a self-centred Muslim who expects friends of other faiths to wish me Selamat Hari Raya or, for those who are not Malaysians and therefore do not know about Hari Raya, a Happy Eid and yet do not return their goodwill when it is Christmas, Chinese New Year, Deepavali or Vesak Day”.

She said: “Every year, friends who are Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs or those without any faith come to our home to celebrate Hari Raya with us. They do so with sincerity and as a mark of respect for one of the most important days in the Muslim calendar. Why should we not reciprocate their kindness, show them the same mark of respect for their religion and wish them the same joy on their holy days of celebration?”

In the past few years, Malaysians have lost their way to unite as a people regardless of race and religion, allowing hatred, extremism and intolerance a greater influence in our lives.

All Malaysians need to return to Rukunegara to unite Malaysians.

Rukunegara consists of two parts.

The first envisions the kind of society desired as stated in the following pledge:

“Our Nation, Malaysia, being dedicated – to achieving a greater unity of all her peoples; to maintaining a democratic way of life; to creating a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared; to ensuring a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions; to building a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology.”

The second part outlined the five principles – Belief in God; Loyalty to King and Country; Upholding the Constitution; Rule of Law and Good Behaviour and Morality – embodying all the high values to mould a Malaysian society that is free from vengeance, envy and prejudice.

Malaysia would not be in the throes of a political, economic and nation-building crisis of confidence if we had not deviated from the Rukunegara principles – let alone becoming a global kleptocracy set on the trajectory to become a failed and rogue state.

Malaysians must find the way back to our high national purpose as envisaged by the Constitution and the Rukunegara, and there is no better way to begin this journey than on this Christmas Day on December 25 2016.

Let us return to the Rukunegara principles to unite as a people, regardless of race or religion, to fulfill Malaysia’s dream of greatness – the Malaysian Dream.